Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-12
DIsFRANCHIsED TEXANS.
A Locality Beyond the Pale of Liberty's
Torch.

WASHINGTON, January 11th.-The peti-
ton of stephen A. Hackworth, real estate
dealer, Jas. l.. Moore, a merchant, aud
Carl Schultze, ex-Disrct Attorney of
Washington county, and editor of the
Brennan tStddtS ZeituRg, presented to-day
by Senator Hawley, sets forth that they
were law-abiding citizens of Brenham,
Washington county, Texas, who dared to
believe and maintain the right to be Re-
publican in politics." For this, their
only crime" it continues. your petition
ers are now exiies from their homes hav-
ing been compelled to leave under
serious threats of assassination and abandon
their property or to accept for it such
prices as were proffered them" The petit
ton states that at the election held on the
% of last November "a perfect reign of
terror existed in Washington county,
caused by armed bands of white ruffians
who, by violence and by destruction of the
ballot box at Grabail, Flewellen andsLott's
election precincts, prevented free and fair
expression of suffrage by the citizens of
said county, whereby men in whose inter
est those crimes were committed were de-
clared elected who were not in fact elected,
and by the most shameless and unblushing
frauds the election was made farce"
=" Every effort" the petition continues,
"made :" to obtain redress for our wrongs and
security for life and property has been pre-
vented by the waDton and cruel murder of
important witnesses. and by the further
fact that body of State troops ostensibly
ordered to the county to preserve law and
order, in fact acted in open concert with
the lawless men who had committed the
election outrages" The petition further
ayers that the Republicans are in the ma
NNachfnutnn hnf that 80,
order to prevent them from securing their
political rights dprivileges in the county.
Alfred Jones, Shadrach Fielder, and :.
Jones, colored Republicans, were arresteE
upon pretended and malicious charges
of crime and while in custody of the civil
authorities were surrendered to the ku-
Klux and hanged, for the reason that the
civil authorities of said county. together
with their leading political friends, well
knowing that satisfactory and adequate
evidence would be obtained at such trial
to expose and make public their political
crimes, ordered and instigated the death of
said Alfred Jones, Shadrach Fielder and
Stewart Jones'"
The petitioners further allege that John
Ireland, Governor of Texas has failed and
refused to make any effort whatever to
have arrested and brought to trial the law
less men who committed this outrage,
although the facts were made
known to him, and he was earn
estly requested to take prompt action
thereon. After further recital. in more de-
tails. of the charges warranted, the petition
concludes: Ard your petitioners hereby
respectfully submit that all matters herein
stated are complained to your honorable
body for your careful consideration and
such action rs you may deem necessary to
cure the evils herein stated, and thereby
secure to all citizens of the United States
their rights, under a republican form of
government, in fact as well as in name"